History of Shern Hall Lodge
Meeting at: Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London.
Consecrated: 20th April 1928
Brief History
Our membership is drawn from Freemasons living in the Kent and Hampshire areas. The Lodge was consecrated on the 20th April 1928 and originally held its meetings at The Hotel Grand Central, Marlyeborne N.W.1 but after the end of the Second World War moved to Great Queen Street.
We recently held our 75th Anniversary which was attended by many brethren of the Via Lucis Lodge a Dutch Lodge with which we established contact through the personal friendship of one of our lodge members and one of theirs.
The Lodge holds many social events organized by the members.
Our History
In 1878 the Old Shern Hall was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt. For many years it was the family seat of the Maynard family, the name survives in Walthamstow and is used to name a well-known street, a Methodist church, and of course the Lodge.
In 1928, one of a group of earnest Masons, many of them Methodists, sought an audience of the Dowager of Warwick, the senior member of the Maynard family, to ask her permission to use the name of Shern Hall (where she was born) for a proposed new Lodge. This permission was graciously given and approved by Grand Lodge and thus the Lodge was born Permission was also given to use the Arms of the Maynard family and these are found on our Crest.
The grandson of the Countess became the Earl of Warwick and eventually became Provincial Grand Master of Essex and thereby completed the Masonic circle.
At the time the Lodge was formed, Freemasons Hall was being built in Great Queen Street and Shern Hall contributed to the cost and became a Hall Stone Lodge and more importantly, a London Lodge while looking to the Province of Essex for its name.
Worshipful Brother Charles Hodgson was the leading light in the founding of the Lodge and he gathered round him the men who together set the tone and commenced the traditions carried forward today. His name and theirs are inscribed and remembered in our list of Founders.
The Forum Lodge No 3537 is our Mother Lodge and the close links between Shern Hall and Forum are still happily maintained.
Since the mid 60s there have been associations between the members of Shern Hall and other lodges through attendace of the Langton Lodge of Instruction, particularly with Brethren of the Pro Deo et Patria Lodge No 4425. Such is the close co-operation between the two lodges that many brethren have dual membership or are permanent guests.
Shern Hall Lodge members attended St Mary School of Instruction held in Walthamstow until it closed in the 1970s. They also attended Langton Lodge of Instruction which was founded in 1878 and is the number one LOI in the register of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement. In 1965 Langton met at the Ship in Lime Street, City of London and annual festivals were held to demonstrate degrees and lectures in the craft. Brethren who were due to carry out exhibition ritual at the Emulation Lodge of Improvement came to Langton on a Thursday to rehearse for the Emulation Meeting which was held on a Friday evening. Brethren performing word perfect ceremonies there are awarded a Silver Matchbox and subsequent other perfect ceremonies are awarded what is called a scratch. Langton is still run by Shern Hall members today. Hence the traditional high standard of craft work in the lodge has been maintained. Members from Southampton practice the ritual in the locally on a Thursday night under the guidance of Shern Hall past masters.
In 1999 twice yearly morning meetings were introduced to assist the members who travelled from Southampton and other long distances. At the same time the festive board moved to Parkers Restaurant for a lunch. The meetings continue to be held at Great Queen Street and from 2003 all meetings will be in the morning.